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General contractor Tom Silva helps a homeowner repair a wobbly newel post at the bottom of a staircase. Then, up in the loft, plumbing and heating expert Richard Trethewey shows host Kevin O'Connor several methods for cutting rigid pipes and flexible tubing. Next, landscaping contractor Roger Cook visits an expert to learn how to reproduce plants from cuttings and by grafting.

Repairing a Wobbly Newel PostTom helped a homeowner repair a wobbly newel post. To stiffen the post, Tom secured it to one of the wooden stair treads using a special type of screw made for heavy-duty framing and carpentry applications. The long screw had a flat head and threads near the bottom of the shank. Using a spade bit, Tom created a shallow recess for the head of the screw to sit in. He then drilled a long, narrow hole to accept the screw's shank and threads. Once the screw was tightened, Tom covered the head of the screw with wood filler to hide it and the project was complete.

Where to Find It?Tom used a special type of screw used for heavy-duty framing and carpentry applications.

Plant PropagationRoger visited an arboretum to learn how to reproduce plant specimens. One method involves duplicating an existing plant by cutting a piece and forcing it to grow roots of its own. Another method, called grafting, involves cutting a piece from one plant and causing it to grow onto another plant's existing rootstock.

Where to Find It?Roger visited a local arboretum to learn about plant propagation.

Host Kevin O'Connor and plumbing and heating expert Richard Trethewey head to Virginia to help a homeowner replace his old, electric water heater with a heat pump water heater that uses much less electricity… more